The Web courier went belly up in 2001, less than four years after it introduced its service promising to deliver to customers’ doorsteps just about anything they wanted in about an hour. Kozmo raised more than $250 million in financing from venture-capital firms, and from heavyweights including Starbucks Corp. and Amazon.com Inc., en route to a planned initial public offering before falling under the weight of an overly ambitious expansion.

Kozmo had been an overnight sensation. By eschewing delivery charges or minimum order sizes, Kozmo drew a wide swath of customers, including some wanting, say, a lone DVD or candy bar to satisfy the late-night munchies. The company sold brand-name products from its own distribution centers.